Jizō Bosatsu

Jizō Bosatsu

Hanabusa Itchō

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This image of the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Kshitigarbha), a savior for deceased children, demonstrates how artists of various backgrounds often had a sideline doing religious paintings. This early work by Hanabusa Itchō was created when he still viewed himself as a follower of the academic Kano school. Best known as a brilliant observer of life in Edo (present-day Tokyo), his genre paintings often display a humorous touch.


Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.